Approval
by decuvieri
Summary: Post defeat of 0011. 002 is doing his best to point out 004's flaws, but there comes a time when those flaws are all they have to fight with.


**Category:** Cyborg 009  
**Rating:** PG   
**Genre:** Action Drama  
**Summary:** Zero-Zero-Four clings to humanity... And shows Jet that he has some left, as well.

Approval

The balcony was barely illuminated enough by the moon for any average person to see, but the darkness had nothing on the cyborg. Infrared vision was one of the perks of being part machine, if being part machine had any perks. From the things Cyborg Zero-Zero-Eleven had said earlier that day, Black Ghost's transformations hardly seemed good on any level.

Zero-Zero-Four ignored the hard wind as it whipped his clothes about. All Zero-Zero-Eleven had wanted was to go home to his family. He had a wife; children. Black Ghost had taken all that away, and for what? To turn him into another damn weapon. How many had been forced into the transformation, he wondered. Eleven at the very least, and probably more. How many lives ripped apart by that damn Ghost?

"You should have killed him." The disembodied voice pulled Zero-Zero-Four from his thoughts, but he didn't look for the speaker. The voice was recognizable enough, as was the attitude: Zero-Zero-Two, coming to give him another verbal beating because of his humanity.

"Why? Why destroy him? So we can become what Black Ghost designed us to be? Here I thought we were trying to oppose that sort of thing," Zero-Zero-Four said, an aggressive snap in his voice, "Every day we do our best not to kill the mindless idiots that try to kill us. Zero-Zero-Eleven only wanted his life back-"

"At the cost of ours," Zero-Zero-Two cut in. "He was with the enemy. He didn't care about the lives _we_ lost when we were abducted, so why do you care so much about his?"

"He was only in league with Ghost because he was given no other choice. Nobody here gave him any other options, did we? And I care because I still have a shred of descency in my soul," Zero-Zero-Four looked over his shoulder at the other cyborg for the first time that evening, only slightly irritated that infrared vision gave every thing a blood red tint. "That's more than I can say for you."

It was awkward hearing Zero-Zero-Four go so far as to insult some one. His anger never got the best of him, so the comment was severely out of character. This, however, only fueled Jet on farther.

"You, if anyone, should know that Black Ghost's legions aren't above lying and deceiving. Zero-Zero-Eleven was playing on your weaknesses to get the upper hand."

"You don't know that."

"And you don't know it isn't true. Zero-Zero-Four, you put way too much faith into your opponents. It's pathetic how gullible you are. 'Surprising you've even survived this long." They were both silent for a minute: Zero-Zero-Four staring down at the ground in thought, and Zero-Zero-Two staring at him. For two people who had been through so much of the same, horrible thing, they had completely different outlooks.

"Zero-Zero-Two, why do you refuse to trust _anyone_? We're your teammates, and still you repel us like enemies." The American raised an eyebrow at the other. When Zero-Zero-Four didn't elaborate more on the question, he decided to answer in the only manner he knew.

"I trust you. I just don't want any of you as friends." He went back inside, leaving Zero-Zero-Four alone in the dark with more pressing questions, but no real desire to pursue them at that time. He would have to go on shift soon, and it was doubtful that Zero-Zero-Two would be up to any more conversation.

Albert left the house to get to the rendezvous point, though a bit earlier than the set time to switch shifts. The walk did him well; everyone up at the house was going insane with being cooped up on the island with so little to do and privacy was becomming the essance of maintaining sanity. Joe Shimamura, known to them as Zero-Zero-Nine, looked barely aware of the world around him much less aware that it was time to change watch. Poor guy had his life turned upside down and backwards practically over night. As Zero-Zero-Four knew the first week of learning to accept and get used to the cybernetic replacements was the most difficult, and probably more so for Joe: he was just a kid. What kind of history the guy had behind him was lost on Zero-Zero-Four, but Albert refused to let the kid suffer in his head like he used to. Like he still did.

"This ridge is where we first encountered one of the Zero-Zero-Tens," he stated openly, and from the kid's expression, that was the same thing he was contemplating.

"Yes. I'm sure we would have been able to reason with him, but with his brother... Together they were just too evil." Zero-Zero-Nine grinned sadly, his words falling hollow.

"We risked are lives trying to reason with those who refused to listen. I wonder if it was worth it? I mean, even if they had joined with us, was it worth the chance of us being killed? Or even past that, they could have stabbed us in the back once we let our guard down. Maybe we just shouldn't risk it anymore." Zero-Zero-Nine shook his head firmly and looked the older cyborg straight in the eye.

"No, I think we did the right thing. It was worth the risk: one - or two - lives potentially spared? None of us would have passed up the opportunity." A mental picture of Zero-Zero-Two repeating _He was the enemy!_ came into the older man's head.

"Maybe."

"I guess we'll never know now, will we? As for Zero-Zero-Eleven... It's probably weighing heavy on you, right? Don't torment yourself with it. We have no idea if his motives for attacking us were real or not. You tried, and that was all you could do."

"Well, it's just as you said: we'll never know now, will we? Jet seems to think it was a ploy, but how often is he right?" He grinned widely for a moment.

"Jet? You mean Zero-Zero-Two, right?"

"We like to keep our names, just like you do, Joe. Francoise told you our history, didn't she?"

"All she really said was that the first four cyborgs were abducted after the war in Europe and were genetically preserved until cybernetic sciences were developed more. So, all I really know is that you're a lot older than the rest of us."

"Heh. Yeah. Quite a bit older than I'd like to think about, actually. Anyway, we were taken from all over the world. The first four of us come from USSR, America, France, Berlin - all sorts of places. The only thing any of us have in common is the fact that we're just kind of throw away people," he paused, seeing the swayed look in Joe's eyes, "Nobody really missed us when we were gone. I know bits and pieces about the others - Francoise's only family at the time was her brother, and Jet had no family past his street gang. Ivan was taken from his parents for observation and study of his telekinetic abilities before he was kidnapped, and I had no one left to look for me. Just a bunch of throw away people...

"What I'm getting at is that Black Ghost didn't expect us to regroup and rebel, Joe. Our mixed origins and histories aren't a weakness like they thought. We may not function as a group _socially_, but we have strengths that can be played off each other because we've gone through the same trauma. Some of us understand this more than others. If you would just see us as friends we can only get stronger." Joe seemed to agree to the idea.

"I do. Dr. Gilmore said that you guys are his family, and... I never had one of my own. A family. I think I'd like to be a part of what you guys have."

"We're glad you're with us, Joe, though too bad it's not under better conditions. Now you better get on up to the house, Zero-Zero-Nine. It's my watch and you need to sleep. After all, mechanical or not, we're still human beings," a friendly look in Albert's peculiar blue eyes settled the seriousness of the conversation.

"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for talking with me about this." He turned and walked away to the house on the hedge, using the distant lights coming from the windows to direct him. It wasn't long when he called from about thirty yards away to the older cyborg. "Zero-Zero-Four! Tell me, what is your real name?" It was almost pure dark with the sun long since gone, but the elder cyborg could see the young man perfectly is shades of red with his enhanced vision, despite the distance. Every detail of his face; every rock by his feet. He gave his name, but wondered if that was who he really was anymore.

"Albert Heinrich."

* * *

"What's going on here?" Zero-Zero-Six asked in a panic as his comrades began collapsing in thier seats, usually falling right into their plates of food. "Don't tell me my cooking is poisoning them all!" 

Zero-Zero-Seven had already passed out, about to fall right off his chair, and Zero-Zero-Five found that the pain was becoming so intense that he could barely find the strength to stand.

"Doc, what's happening to them?" Zero-Zero-Two demanded, but immediately had to pull his attention away to catch the unconscious Chinese chef before he plummeted to the floor, too.

"It appears to be some sort of delayed reaction to something. I haven't the slightest idea as to what it might-"

"Arh! You guys, I don't feel so good," Zero-Zero-Eight stood up quickly, one hand clutching his stomach and the other supporting his weight on the table. The support only lasted so long, however; the African soon lost all strength and collapsed entirely.

"Pyunma!"

The Doctor, instincts kicking in, took charge of the chaos. "Zero-Zero-Three, help me get everyone to the Dolphin. Zero-Zero-Two, go find Zero-Zero-Four and Zero-Zero-Nine at the watch post: if they're in the same condition they'll need help. If you can, find out the cause for all of this while we work on the others. Move, everyone!"

Zero-Zero-Two charged towards the balcony, throwing the doors open with such a force that a panel of glass shattered when it swung back into a wall. If both Zero-Zero-Nine and Zero-Zero-Four were also having this reaction way out at the gorge he'd have to fly them both back to the ship himself, and he knew he wouldn't be able to carry two at a time. Mach 2 was peanuts compared to his maximum speed of 5, but he didn't want to overpass anyone that may have left the watch point.

It was dark, and unlike most of the others Zero-Zero-Two didn't have enhanced night vision. It would be easy to miss him comrades in the night... Which he did. On the ground below and shrouded in the darkness was Zero-Zero-Nine, wondering why his comrade was in such a hurry. Unless they were under attack, or something had happened at the house... Regardless, Zero-Zero-Two had bypassed him in his haste, the light from his built in jets becoming dim swiftly. Something important was up.

_"Acceleration Mode!"_

* * *

It was too late to stop anything past watching in horror as a huge black mass rose up from the ocean. Cyborg Zero-Zero-Four realized that being on watch was pretty useless if you didn't have any means of communication with you - which he _didn't_. He'd forgotten to get the transmitter from Joe before he left. Now he was alone with the re-emerging Zero-Zero-Eleven and hardly had any means to defend himself. 

One of the six large, insect-like legs of the hostile cyborg retracted back into the air, preparing for a direct attack on the rebel. The man's stunned senses did allow him to at least jump evasively to the side, pre-determined as the attack was. A wave of dirt was thrown into the air in result, creating a smoke screen that temporarily hid Zero-Zero-Four from his opponent... But hid his opponent from his view, as well.

Zero-Zero-Eleven did not make another stabbing attack, but a swiping one. A bladed leg cut across the ground, and the dirt cloud couldn't save Zero-Zero-Four from the area wide maneuver. He was hit square in the chest and thrown back, stunned at the unanticipated move. It must have shorted some circuit; the man found that when he moved his body beginning to stiffen and slow against his will.

"Zero-Zero-Four!" Help. It sounded like Jet, but he was too late. The dust had settled enough for Zero-Zero-Eleven to see his kill, paralyzed and defenseless on the ground. One last attack would be devastating on the rebel cyborg: most likely immediate death. The former human didn't hesitate to strike, and despite the lithe speed everything slowed for Zero-Zero-Four. He thought about joining his wife Hilda in death, and finally escaping the reach of Black Ghost. It would be relief; freedom. That was what he and Hilda had been trying to obtain when she died. They would both be free... At just that minute death didn't seem to be all that horrible.

Zero-Zero-Two was hardly blessed with super strength, but he had managed to somehow divert the creature's attack off to the side by throwing his body weight into a shove and throwing off the enemy's aim. Again, a would-be lethal attack missed it's target. The force of the impact unsteadied Zero-Zero-Eleven, which was the distraction Zero-Zero-Nine needed to take out two of the more prominent legs of the creature with his beam gun.

"Get up, you moron!" Zero-Zero-Two called to him from above, "This is your fault, you know. I told you to kill him before!" Zero-Zero-Four's reply was a whisper, and was more to himself than to Jet.

"Yes, you did. And I was too weak to do it." The other cyborg didn't hear that statement.

"Zero-Zero-Eleven caused some sort of chemical disruption today. The splash that got everyone this afternoon when he fell in the water is causing some reaction that's shutting us all down. It's already disabled most of us-" he had to perform an interesting pattern of maneuvers to escape a series of bright beams of light from hitting him, "-and it'll stop us soon, too. Now instead of just laying down to die you could be getting up to help us fight!"

Several formerly-concealed ray guns were exposed and fired. Most were directed towards the airborne cyborg, and a few straying more towards Zero-Zero-Four. Jet had adopted a neurotic pattern of aerial rolls and dives in combination of shooting his weaponry at every opportunity as his battle plan, and this seemed to distract Zero-Zero-Eleven from everything else it was doing. This gave the other two warriors more leeway.

Zero-Zero-Nine, no longer the focus of thier opponent, Accelerated up to his grounded companion. Zero-Zero-Four noted how the kid's last step faltered, most likely a result of the degenerative reaction that was taking them over.

"Our only hope," he paused to gasp for air, "Is to attack his arsenal when they're exposed. That's... That's the only time he's vulnerable."

"How's your range of movement holding?"

"I can still Accelerate, but it's getting difficult to just move. My head's starting to spin a little, but I think I can stand for a while yet."

"That's good. Better than me, anyway. I can't even pull myself up," the Berlin man said with a humorless grin, slumping off to the side to support himself on a boulder. Zero-Zero-Two landed near them abruptly, holstering his weapon with a frown.

"Out of ammo. I don't think he saw me duck back here, but if he doesn't find us he'll probably just head up to the house for the others."

"We need to make a move now. You said the others were mostly disabled?"

"They just started dropping like flies. The only ones that were unaffected were Zero-Zero-Three, Dr. Gilmore, and Dr. Kazumi. I think Zero-Zero-Five was the only other one conscious when I left. Hardly enough to put up much of a defense."

The trio contemplated the possible courses of action, knowing that every second that passed the more bleak things became. Zero-Zero-Eleven was almost entirely invulnerable to any kind of attack other than precisely timed ones, but time was no on their side today. Zero-Zero-Four knew he was the only one with enough firepower to make a dent in Zero-Zero-Eleven, but he couldn't move to save his life. Zero-Zeros Two and Nine could maneuver, but Acceleration was useless without any forms of offense other than physical attacks at thier disposal. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Zero-Zero-Two giving him a rather critical look.

"You're the practical one. What do we do?"

"Oh, yeah. Turn to the weak, sentimental one when things go bad, right, Jet?" He grinned at the American's look of damaged pride. "Listen. We have to play off each others' strengths. This guy is easily distracted, so if one of you two can get his attention while the other helps me get into an area to fire at him from..."

The Japanese teen sprung into a ready position, though more sluggish than normal. "I can pull him off to the side. This should leave you plenty of space to use the rocks to get as close as you need."

"Great. Can you hold me long enough to get a shot, Jet?"

"'Should be able to. But he'll be firing at us once he gets us in his sights."

"That's just what we need." Zero-Zero-Four literally forced his right arm up by his will. Quite a bit of effort into such a slight movement was a bit ridiculous, he thought. Down where his right hand should have been was instead five machine gun barrels, loaded and ready to fire. "You just focus on evading him; I'll do the rest. Let's go."

At first the plan went off without a hitch. There were no mistakes made; Zero-Zero-Nine was too quick to be hit by any of the beam cannons Zero-Zero-Eleven sported, and the other two were keen with thier stealth. It was surprising to both of them how close they managed to get before Zero-Zero-Eleven detected them: fifteen yards was further they had even hoped to get, but once the ruse was up Zero-Zero-Eleven refused to let it go any farther.

Jet, whom had been helping the immobile Albert get from place to place the entire time, quickly grabbed the other and left the ground. The fact that he could feel debris being thrown up from the two lazer beams that had nearly taken them out was unsettling. He'd have to time his launches better from now on if he didn't want to hit the death bed so soon.

Every time one weapon was exposed and fired it was immediately protected by the inpenatrable casing once again, and another opened right after to take another shot. There was no pattern to follow, or no pattern obvious to Zero-Zero-Four, at least. Amidst Jet's lunges left and right to keep them airborne and the rain of energy being thrown at them each vulnerable spot was exposed completely randomly. He'd have to take a guess at which one would open and when, and being wrong (a major possibility in this time of crisis,) could mean being dead.

"He knows we're the only threat to him now."

"Just get me close enough." Fiercely determined and too caught up in the moment to remember he couldn't move, Zero-Zero-Four put forth his right "hand" and braced himself to fire at one of the concealed weapon slots. He'd have to fire right after one opened, and not after it was fired. One caught his eye in particular, so he'd decided to wait for that target to move.

The hitch, however, occurred when neither Jet nor Albert saw what was coming. One of the remaining three operative legs of Zero-Zero-Eleven came so suddenly from the far side that it was almost entirely behind them. A swift cut downwards on the two caused a sickening _crack_ to emit from the body of one of the cyborgs as they were forced apart and tossed wildly into the air.

Zero-Zero-Nine saw his companions plummet towards the earth. With his Acceleration beginning to fail him, the juvenile used his only acrobatics to get to the downed men. Zero-Zero-Two was closer, and easily caught and saved by the ninth cyborg, but by the time that happened Zero-Zero-Four had already hit the ground. He was faced away from the others and didn't move.

Hoisted up in Joe's arms, Jet was starting to feel his body resisting movement, but his leg was the least reactive. It was obviously damaged beyond any repair they could perform during combat.

"Help Zero-Zero-Four. I'll be all right. Just get him out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you alone with Zero-Zero-Eleven! You're too injured-"

"It's better one of us be killed rather than three of us, isn't it?" he shouted, and his reasoning was agreeable.

_I can't let them be hurt._

The oldest of the three cyborgs - who probably should have been dead, all things considered - rolled himself onto to his back so he could face the huge, lumbering shape of Zero-Zero-Eleven. This cyborg wasn't the same one they had encountered earlier in the day; in body, maybe, but the soul behind it was gone. Consumed by the rage and hate Black Ghost had created for him by taking away everything he loved, and using it to massacre everything in his path... Or maybe the soul behind Zero-Zero-Eleven was being manipulated, but not dead.

"This is what you've let yourself become?" He heaved himself up, fatigued and in pain from the fall. "You've succumb to the anger. You wanted to return to your family, and Black Ghost is keeping them from you. From this betrayal and pain comes your fury, and it doesn't matter to you who you take it out on. This is what Black Ghost wanted from the start. You've been blinded by your rage and can't see how you've already lost to them. Don't just give in!"

The response was a wordless gesture, but one that got the point across. Several beam canon covers retracted, and though they never got a shot out, the statement made was clear: there was nothing left of the man who became Zero-Zero-Eleven but his anger. This is why Zero-Zero-Four did not hesitate to move as soon as he saw the glint off the metal weapons. Without any humanity left in the mechanical body of his foe to be reasoned with there was nothing left to do but fire first. His hand did not pack the necessary firepower needed for the ranged attack, but he could compensate for that with long-distance missiles that were fast - fast enough to lodge itself into the shell casing of the beast and force itself into where Zero-Zero-Eleven was vulnerable.

Pending this the missile went off, and a series of sparks shooting out in combination with the sound of metal scratching and bending as the abomination keeled over was indication enough that the battle had been won.

* * *

None of the three could move by the time the fight ended. This was why it was convenient that once Dr. Kazumi found a way to counter the deteriorating effects of the splash he sent those able out to find Zero-Zero-Two and his team mates, whom had never returned. Of course, help never made it until _after_ Zero-Zero-Eleven was defeated, but the trio of cyborgs were glad for the extra aid all the same. 

When knocked out of the air Zero-Zero-Two's leg and a good deal of aerial equipment stored in it had been crippled. Dr. Gilmore had Zero-Zero-Five carry him to the ship for repairs as well and cyborgs Four and Nine for treatment, observation, and some deserved rest. After that sort of adrenaline rush, however, Zero-Zero-Four was hardly tired.

Albert entered the more exclusive of the treatment rooms where Dr. Gilmore was busily working with Zero-Zero-Two's mechanics. Zero-Zero-Three assisted the procedure patiently while the downed cyborg looked mildly irritated that he had to lay down on a hard table under such intense light for the work.

"How's it lookin', Doc?" Zero-Zero-Four asked, giving the American a slight nudge on the shoulder as he passed. "Do we sell him for scrap metal or is his salvageable?"

"If I wasn't being blinded by this ten-thousand volt flash light being shined right in my eyes I'd hit you."

Dr. Gilmore chuckled quietly at the two. "I'm about done. Just some equipment broken and proppellent spilled, but nothing too diseastrous. I did want to take some time to update your technology, Zero-Zero-Two, but for now I think we'll just let you be."

"Zero-Zero-Nine says you both worked well together out there. It's nice to hear that some things do change," Francoise joked, a rarity for her as of late.

"Well, I felt obligated to take on the tedious task of saving Jet's a-."

"Can it." The American through the older man a dirty look, which was all taken into stride. "And I saved _you_, remember? I found you all curled up like a kitten. As a matter of fact, **you're** the entire reason why I'm under the knife right now."

"Pliers, not knife," Dr. Gilmore interjected, the pliers raised over his head. Zero-Zero-Three put a hand to her mouth to muffle a small giggle as Jet rolled his eyes.

"It all worked out the end," Albert said with a shrug, then turned to leave. "I'm starvin'. Take care of Jet, Doc."

"The best of care I can provide."

Halfway down the hall a nagging urge stopped Zero-Zero-Four. Out of impulse he looked over his shoulder, back into the treatment room. Jet was there, and with a free hand he gave an approving thumbs-up sign, but it didn't last long. Regardless, Zero-Zero-Four, feeling suddenly uplifted, gratefully returned the gesture before going back down the hall, leaving the others to thier own.


End file.
